Model of urban development of the city of Astana in the first half of the ХХ century

This article provides a retrospective analysis of the formation of the linear system of population settlement, historical development and application of this concept in the cities of the Soviet era, which subsequently influenced the urban planning aspects of modern settlements. The paper considers the key tendencies of population settlement along the main transport corridors, near large industrial enterprises, as well as their influence on the features of urban planning structures. The basic concepts of linear settlements developed by the Spanish engineer Arturo Soria y Mata and Walter Gropius, as well as the implementation of socialist cities in the Soviet Union are studied. The study of examples of cities such as Magnitogorsk and their development within the framework of the ‘new settlement’ model allowed us to analyse and investigate the changes in relation to the planning concept of the city of Astana, the transition from a linear structure to a more comprehensive one, reflecting the transformation of socio-economic conditions. As a result of the discussion, the article reveals both positive and negative aspects of linear settlement of the population, with emphasis on its limitations, dependence on production facilities and political decisions, as well as the need to form flexible tools in modern urban realities. The formed linear settlement system formed the basis of urban development of Astana city and was reflected in the first general plan of the settlement, with the need for adaptation and transformation in the modern context.